Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires facilities to have a detailed fire prevention plan when applicable standards require it. However, the agency “strongly recommends” that all facilities develop and implement a plan. How does your facility’s fire prevention plan stack up?
With hurricane season here to stay until the end of November, it’s important to think about how prepared (or unprepared) your workplace is for a disaster. Tornadoes. Fires. Floods. They’re all happening much more frequently than they did decades ago, and they’re dangerous and expensive.
Consider for a moment, what’s your worst-case scenario? Fire? Explosion? Flood? If you’re just thinking of the disaster itself, you’re not thinking broadly enough: the true worst-case scenario is a disaster for which your facility and your workers are completely unprepared.
A roof is an easy thing to take for granted, at least while it’s functioning as intended. However, winter, especially in the northern climes, too often reminds us of the importance of roof maintenance. Rather than waiting for the signs of serious roof damage to appear, your best bet is to be proactive and address […]
Lots of people have allergies—some people break out in sniffles when the pollen count is high; others can’t have pets because dog hair or cat hair makes their eyes swell up and water. But none of those allergies resemble the dramatic, life-threatening reaction that is anaphylaxis. As a facilities manager, you should know the risk […]
As facility professionals, we pay close attention to newsworthy workplace disasters. Based on the scale and severity of these incidents, perhaps we assume they could not occur in our own organizations—after all, this is what we work to prevent. But the fact is, disasters can happen anywhere.
It’s important for facility managers to be ready for any emergency, and that includes preparing for weather emergencies. So, when that dreaded alert from the National Weather Service pops up on your computer or phone: “Area Flood Warning” predicting storm activity such as high winds and heavy, sustained rainfall for your area, will your team […]
At 5:50 p.m. on May 9, 2015, with the workday wrapping up, a transformer exploded at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester, New York, 50 miles north of Manhattan. The sprinkler systems triggered, and emergency response crews scrambled, working to keep the fire from reaching the nuclear installation just 200 yards away. The […]
The 2019-2020 flu season appears to be off to an early start, though we’re a long way off from the peak, which is typically hits in February. This can be a high-risk period for workers in healthcare facilities where sick people may be streaming in because of an extensive community outbreak. Healthcare employers are required […]
It’s a facility owner’s worst nightmare. Last night, the news covered a possible storm headed your way. Rain and hail were in the forecast, but the strong winds were not. After a tree falls on part of your facility, the power cuts out and dangerous chemicals spill.